Assembler control for typesetting machine



United States Patent [72] Inventors Nell Schleifnun;

Seth Graubert, Long Island City, New York [21] Appl. No. 755,989 [22] Filed Aug. 28, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 17, 1970 [73] Assignee llarris-lutertype Corporation Cleveland, Ohio a corporation of Delaware [54] ASSEMBLER CONTROL FOR TYPESETTING MACHINE 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 199/18, 199/25 [51] Int.Cl B411) 9/06, B41b 9/04 [50] Field olSearch 199/13, 14, 16,18-21, 25, 43, 52

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,708,507 5/1955 Hilpman 199/45 2,955,703 10/1960 Shaffstall 199/18 3,057,458 10/1962 Astiel 199/18 3,086,644 4/1963 Abbott et al. 199/45 3,231,073 1/1966 Loring 199/18 3,278,003 10/1966 OBrien 6! a1 199/18 3,278,004 10/1966 O'Brien et al... 199/18 3,291,291 12/1966 Jackson et a1. 199/16 3,308,932 3/1967 Debus et a1 199/25X 3,349,895 10/1967 Hawkins et a1 199/14 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Eugene l-l. Eickholt Attorney-Marechal, Biebel, French and Bugg Q a Q i J 48 so 52 2 Patented Nov. 17, 1970 A TTOR/VEYS ASSEMBLER CONTROL FOR TYPESETTING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved control for typesetting machines embodying recirculating matrices. Operation of the matrix selector mechanism (automatic or manual) is ordinarily inhibited until the transferring mechanism completes its cycle of operation. Particularly, the invention provides improvements in the functioning of the assembly elevator and delivery slide, or equivalent transferring mechanism, whereby assembling of the next succeeding line can commence before the transferring or delivery operation is completed. The normal time required for the matrices to reach the assembly station from the magazine is utilized as part of the time period during which the transferring mechanism, such as the elevator, returns to the assembly station.

The invention is particularly adaptable to automatic devices for perforated tape operation of typesetting machines, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,278,003 and 3,278,004, both issued to the assignee of this application. An earlier form of essentially mechanical operating mechanism of the general type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,287,793 to Goetz.

Particularly with reference to the control system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,004, in that control system, various delay arrangements are provided from the normal cyclic operation of the tape reader, decoder mechanism, and the machine itself. When an elevate code is sensed indicating the end of a line, and hence completion of assembly of the matrices for that line, the elevate detector circuit is actuated, thereby resulting in a delay of approximately five cycles of machine operation allowing all selected matrices to drop to the assembly station, after which the elevate relay is energized and remains energized through a holding circuit incorporating a delivery slide holding switch. The relay also actuates the elevate register which begins the operation of transferring the matrices from the assembly station. This holding switch remains closed so long as the delivery slide is away from its home" position, in other words while it is in the process of removing an assembled line of matrices from the elevator. After the delivery slide returns and the assembly elevator reaches its home position, the elevate relay is deenergized, and then an additional two cycles of operation are required before the code for the next character is read. The purpose of this invention is to minimize the amount of time required before selection begins after the transferring sequence is initiated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a control for a typesetting machine which permits operation of the selector mechanism, and corresponding operation of the assembler, to begin before completion of the return movement of the line delivery mechanism, but inhibits continuation of this operation if for some reason the assembly elevator is not in position to receive the selected matrices at the assembly station within a predetermined time. This is accomplished by the use of a detecting device which determines whether or not the assembly elevator has in fact returned to the assembly station, and with a detecting device which signals that the previously assembled matrices have been removed from the assembly elevator.

A delay circuit is actuated by the latter detecting device, and this delay circuit is arranged to override the normal inhibiting operation of the first detecting device which would otherwise prevent operation of the character selecting and assembler mechanisms. The time period of the delay circuit is so arranged that it will override the first detecting and inhibiting circuits only for the normal period of time required for the assembly elevator to return to the assembly station. If for some reason this return movement is not completed, the delay circuit will discontinue its overriding function and the inhibiting action of the first detecting device will occur to stop further selection and operation of the assembler.

The primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a novel assembler control for typesetting machines employing recirculating matrices, wherein assembler operation is caused to begin at a short time prior to the return of the assembly elevator to the assembly station or position, the time period 1 being selected such that it is within the norinal'time required for return movement of the assembly elevator once removal of the previously assembled matrices has been completed; and to provide simplified controls of this type which are inexpensive to construct, install and maintain.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, a tape reader 10 is illustrated receiving a perforated record tape 12 of known type, and operating through a decoder 15 and its outputs 16 to drive the control register AlA7 through appropriate OR gates 17. These registers in turn are co'nnected to energize appropriate ones of the selector solenoid 20a-20g which in turn operate one or more of the selector slides 22a-22g to control the reeds and escapement devices which in turn releases a matrix from an appropriate channel in the magazine 23 (FIG. 2). Details of the selector mechanism are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,005.

A manual keyboard 24 is connected through appropriate output cables 25 to the register BlB7 which inturn have their outputs connected to the OR gates 17. Details of such an arrangement are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,764. This keyboard may be mounted on the typesetting machine, or

remotely, as may be desired. The pulse generating mechanism shown in FIG. 1 includes a lamp 26 which providesa beam of light that can pass through a slit in a rotating disc 27 to actuate a photocell 28, and an appropriate amplifier 29 provides cyclic control pulses to the shift control circuits 30 and 31 which provide shift pulses to the B and A registers respectively. The shift signals from the circuit 30 preferably pass through a conventional delay circuit 32 before reaching the B registers, and the same signals are transmitted through line 35 to the control circuits 38. Further details are contained in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat No. 3,278,003.

The selected matrices pass into a conventional assembler 40 which'includes a matrix delivery belt 41 and a starwheel 42 that pushes the assembled matrices 46 into the assembly elevator 45. This elevator is shown in its lower position, at the assembly station, with some of the matrices 46 placed thereon. When a fully assembled line of matrices is ready, the elevate control either operates from the tape reader or the keyboard, actuates mechanism to raise the elevator to the delivery position where the delivery slide 48 sweeps the assembled matrices from the elevator into the delivery channel 49 from which the matrices are subsequently delivered to the first elevatorjaws'and thence carried to the casting position.

The elevator 45 and delivery slide 48 are considered, together, as comprising a transferring mechanism and a means by which the assembled matrices are carried from the assembly station, adjacent the starwheel 42, to a discharge position from the transferring mechanism, such as the delivery channel 49. A first detecting device, in the form ofa normally closed switch, is held open by the elevator 45 when it is at the assembly station. A second detecting device, in the form of a normally closed switch 52, is held open by the delivery slide 48 when it is in its home" or retracted position preparatory to moving the assembled matrices from the elevator. These switches are connected to a delay circuit 55 which incorporates a relay having a coil 570 (FIG. 3) and a normally closed relay switch 57b connected in series with the detecting switch 50.

The switch 50 and relay switch 57b are incorporated in an inhibiting or safety circuit which provides an inhibiting signal on the output line 58 to the drive for the tape reader 10. When the elevator sequence begins, movement of the elevator 45 upward will cause switch 50 to close, and since relay switch 57b is normally closed an inhibiting signal may be present on line 58. This continues until the elevator raises completely and the delivery slide 48 begins to move the assembled matrices from the elevator, at which time the normally open switch 52 will close. Closing of this switch provides a starting or enabling signal on line 60 to the delay circuit, and it is actuated to energize the coil 57a, opening its switch 57b, thereby breaking the inhibiting circuit and permitting the reader to read the next code.

Once the inhibiting signal on line 58 is removed, the reader and decoder will commence to drive the selector circuits and assembler 40, and the matrices will begin to fall to the delivery belt 41 in predetermined order, from whence they are carried to the starwheel 42 and the assembly station. This operation requires a certain time period, and can be related to the time required for the delivery slide to remove the matrices from the elevator 45 and the elevator to return to the assembly station. Thus, by proper regulation of the timing, the elevator 45 will, in normal operation, be returned to the assembly station and open the detecting switch 50 before any of the matrices reach the assembly station.

The delay period of the circuit 55 can be adjusted through the variable resistor 62 to provide a time period, during which the relay is energized, that is slightly longer than the time required for the elevator to return. Therefore the relay switch 57b in normal operation will open slightly after the elevator opens the detector switch 50. However, if for some reason the elevator is slow in returning to the assembly station, or jams, the relay switch 57b will quickly close and, since the detector switch 50 is closed because the elevator is away from the assembly station, an inhibiting signal will result immediately on line 58 to stop the selecting mechanism and the assembler.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that some operating time is gained during assembly of each line, because the selecting mechanism and the assembler begin functioning during the final portion of the operating of the transfer mechanism, mainly the return motion of the elevator. In a machine operating at a rate in the order of 12 to 14 lines per minute, this time saving represents a significant increase in the overall operating rate of the machine.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a typesetting machine employing recirculating character matrices and having an assembly station at which the matrices are assembled to;form lines of composition and then transferred from the assembly station, said machine including a magazine storing a quantity of matrices, selecting means operative to release individual matrices from their magazines in predetermined order, and assembly elevator receiving the released matrices and collecting them in the order of their selections at said assembly station. and means for transferring the assembled matrices from said assembly station to a delivery station; the improvementcomprising:

a first detecting device operative to signal the presence of said assembly elevator at the assembly station;

a second detecting device operative to signal initiation of removal of the assembled matrices from said assembly elevator;

a control for said selecting means including a safety circuit responsive to said first detecting device to inhibit the operation of said selecting means when said transferring means initiates its transferring operation;

a normally inactive delay circuit connected to bypass said safety circuit only for a predetermined time; and

an actuating connection between said second detecting device and said delay circuit for activating said delay circuit, when said second detecting device is activated, to cause said selecting means to commence operating said assembler during the time normally required for said assembly elevator to return to said assembly station.

2. A typesetting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said delay circuit includes an adjustment device for coordinating the delay provided by said delay circuit with the normal time required for said assembly elevator to return from the delivery position to said assembly station.

3. A typesetting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said transferring means is a reciprocating elevator and a reciprocating delivery slide operative to remove the assembled matrices from said elevator, said first detecting device being a switch operated by said elevator at the assembly station, and said second detecting device being a switch operated by said delivery slide.

4. A typesetting machine as defined in claim I, wherein said delay circuit includes a normally closed switch member connected in a series circuit with said switch forming said first detecting device and said switch being open when said elevator is at said assembly station and operative to close when said elevator is away from said assembly station, said series circuit having a connection to said selecting means operative to inhibit said selecting means when both said first detecting switch and said delay circuit switches are closed, and said switch of said second detecting device being normally held open by said delivery slide and operative to close when said delivery slide functions to remove the assembled matrices from said elevator to provide an enabling signal to said delay circuit indicating the beginning of a predetermined normal time period during which said elevator will return to said assembly station. 

